


AUbris

by rk_1800



Series: The Trashman [2]
Category: No Fandom
Genre: F/M, Idk I didn't feel like adding this to the dbh tag, Rating will update if I add more, Smut, mentions of....fuckging gross shit Adam does
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-29
Updated: 2018-10-11
Packaged: 2019-07-18 21:54:32
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,206
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16127501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rk_1800/pseuds/rk_1800
Summary: Just a place to dump any AU writing I do that's related to my other fic, 'Hubris'. Will most likely be shippy.





	1. Clean Slate

**Author's Note:**

> Starting off with something I wrote today after thinking up some Human AU stuff for these two. Honestly I got the idea for this while I was cleaning my bathroom.

Disgusting. Absolutely disgusting.

 

No, revolting was a much better word for it. She had to curse herself for not looking around the house more thoroughly before renting out that room. She had been too occupied with the fact that it was a cheap room in a nice house. Really nice. Big, even. Too big for one person. Probably one of the reasons why there was even a room up for rent to begin with. She knew the house had two bathrooms, the guest bathroom being a decent size and quite clean. Probably rarely ever used.

But the other…

She wasn’t sure why, but she got the urge to explore a little bit. With Adam out doing...god knows what, she had a nice opportunity to do so. One of the rooms she went for first was the main bathroom. A poor decision on her part that had been. The sight alone had her dry heaving.

It wasn’t messy in the way you’d think. No, dried patches of rust could be seen in just about every crevice of the room. In the grout between the tiles on the floor, around both the drain of the sink and bathtub, and honestly anywhere else you could imagine. She was so fucking thankful that she was wearing shoes at the time. The whole scene would have unnerved her a lot more if she hadn’t made that...discovery, two weeks ago. But apparently, this was the norm for this hell house.

Still. Magnolia didn’t think she’d be able to stop thinking about it. Upon closer inspection, bits of dried gore could be found in the room as well. Chunks of flesh with a bit of hair still attached, maybe some chips of bone here and there, and just dried up globs of what she could only assume was some kind of organ. Probably more than one kind.

“If I find an eyeball or something, I swear I’m going to fucking yartz.” She mumbled to herself as she stepped back out of the room, tears welling up in her eyes from the intensity of her dry heaving.

Something had to be done about this. Not only was it just gross, but it was HIGHLY unsanitary as well. Either Adam thought he was immune to whatever diseases that room could conjure, or he just didn’t care. She cared, though. And she KNEW that there were probably at least five new strains of viruses festering in there. Maybe not, but. It sure seemed like it.

Adam did weird shit. He had to have some cleaning supplies that she could USE for this. Hydrogen peroxide was good for small things, but probably not for...that. Where would he keep that stuff, anyway? Part of her was scared to even look for it.

 

After about thirty minutes of rummaging around the home, Magnolia had gathered enough items that she deemed acceptable for the job. The only blunder on her part was forgetting to look for or use any gloves. Hours kneeling on the floor, bent over this and that, and scrubbing at everything with probably more force than needed had taken a toll on her hands. Not only were they sore and cramped, but the skin on her palms was dry and irritated. Oh, and flecks of blood and other abominations stuck under her fingernails. That was gross too.

She’d have to take three showers to feel even remotely clean after this. Gunk was in her hair from the amount of times she had to re-tie it back up. She’d been considering cutting her hair for a while, but now she was sure of it. Long hair was becoming more and more of a hassle in her life. Maybe she’d dye it too…

Having disposed of everything that had been ruined during the clean up, she treated herself to a nice and long shower before flopping on the couch in the living room. Cut hair tomorrow, she thought. Too tired for anything else that required effort. She considered reading a book, but her hands were too sore for anything like that right now.

It was also a little strange that Adam hadn’t come home yet.

Maybe it shouldn’t be strange, considering what she’d been learning about him lately.

 

She had begun nodding off on her spot on the couch when she was suddenly startled by a voice.

“What did you do.”

It was more like a statement than a question. Sitting upright and tried to force the grogginess away, she turned to look at Adam. When had he gotten back? Had she actually fallen asleep for a bit?

“I...I cleaned…?” She wasn’t sure why she had to answer that. It was pretty obvious. He rolled his eyes, a rare sight of emotion on his face.

“I _know_ that. But _why_?” He pressed, seeming a bit impatient. She was a little confused. Maybe confused wasn’t the right word.

“ _Why???_ Adam, did- have you been looking at that bathroom?!” It wasn’t common for her to address him by his name. She was weirdly shy in that way. “It was disgusting! Horrifying! Not to mention, so incredibly dangerous! Haven’t you thought of the _bacteria?!_ ” This was probably the most she had ever raised her voice at him. She couldn’t help but feel a little bad for it. Maybe she should have asked permission to use his cleaning supplies. Had it been impolite of her to go ahead and clean that without asking or telling him? Probably. Now that she thought about it.

He just stared at her, his face back to it’s usual neutral expression. She began to feel a little uncomfortable. Maybe she should apologize.

“I-”

“If I cut the price on your rent, would you be willing to do that more often?”

Well. That gave her whiplash. Rent was already decent, but…saving extra money was never a bad thing. It would also give her more to do on her free time. Was wading through all that gore on a regular basis really worth that?

“I...I guess. I don’t see why not?” She decided to take the offer, albeit still reeling a bit.

“Good. I don’t like cleaning. It takes up too much of my time.” Was his deadpan response. And with that, he left the room. No further explanation, or discussion, or anything. Just like that.

 

Magnolia was sure she would die in this house someday.


	2. Ward

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> PARANORMAL AU  
> (I wrote this entire thing last night and meant to post it before I fell asleep, but oh well! That's okay. Idk I really love this AU and I just.)

Magnolia couldn’t help but quiver under both the cold draft against her bare skin, and the icy touch of the hand grasping her shoulder. It didn’t take long for the goosebumps on her skin to grow painful, hair at the back of her neck prickling like crazy. The urge to scratch at it was increasing as well.

She would be holding her arms to her chest even if she  _wasn’t_  topless, desperate to find a little bit of comfort. Despite the large amount of candles illuminating the otherwise darkened room, the small amount of heat they gave off didn’t seem to be helping with the issue at all.

The bite of freezing metal presses against her spine and she can’t help but lurch forward, both in fear and surprise. The grip on her shoulder tightens as she’s pulled back in place, and she’s already being reprimanded.

“ _You aren’t listening_. You  _cannot_  move. Even  _one_  mistake will end up badly for both of us, and I’m not looking to accidentally cut you deeper than I need to.” Adam’s soft voice only marginally helped. Hearing it so close made her almost…uncomfortable? “Do you understand?” She didn’t, not fully. All of this strange, otherworldly stuff…she still didn’t understand. But she knew that he was probably right and nodded anyway, not trusting her own voice at the moment. He had been right in every instance so far. Should she really start doubting him now?

Hissing through her teeth, she clenches her fists as the inevitable sting of the knife finally arrives. It was a small cut. At least, she thought it was. She hoped it was, and she hoped the rest would be as well. Unfortunately for her, it was quite the opposite.

Tears welled up in her eyes as the seventh stroke was made, the pain already becoming unbearable. It was a particularly long one as well, and she could feel the uncomfortable tickle of blood running down her back. Maybe she should stop counting.

The grip on her shoulder eases, and she tries not to shudder at the thumb gently caressing the nape of her neck. It almost felt nice. Really nice. And a little too careful. Was he able to tell how uncomfortable she was? Maybe it really wasn’t all that hard to tell.

“This is for your own good, you know.” He murmurs as he drags the blade against an unmarred portion of her back. Magnolia hated how she could feel the skin split and separate. She wasn’t normally a very squeamish person, but something about that made her feel really sick. For her own good. For her. She certainly wouldn’t ever choose to do something like this.

But then…

“Why?” She croaked. A deep sigh was what she got before being followed by a patronizing tone.

“Because you don’t know anything yet, and you can’t seem to keep yourself out of troubl-”

“No.” She interrupted. “Why  _me_? Why do you care so much?”

The knife stills for a moment, Adam clearly having been caught off-guard by the question. He’s quiet. Really quiet. It’s probably a good minute before he speaks, and she almost isn’t able to hear it.

“I don’t know.”

How do you respond to that?

He resumes his work, pressing the knife against her a little harder than he had before. All she can do is dig her fingernails into her arms and bear it. Why does she bear with it? Why is she putting up with it? There was at least  _one_  obvious reason; she needed it. Strange things of an unknown caliber festered in this town, and she was a lost lamb in a lion’s den. To put it lightly. Grimacing, she tries to ignore the fact that she could have possibly died no more than an hour and a half ago.

If anyone had asked her to describe how it felt…how being in the clutches of that thing felt, she wouldn’t be able to describe it. It was like trying to imagine a new color. Impossible.

Her new job as a park ranger was quickly becoming less and less appealing. Being alone out there…wasn’t safe. Especially now. Should she quit? Is the hotspot of paranormal activity out there the reason why she got the job so easily? Why would they do that to her? The people down at the police station where she had gotten the job seemed so nice…well. Most of them did. A sudden thought crosses her mind.

“Does…Do they  _know_  about all of this…?” Nervously, she continues, trying not to stumble over her words again. “Everyone living here. Is this just…how it is?” Thankfully, it was a question that he could answer.

“Yes, they do.” The blade finally lifts from her lacerated skin for the last time, making the sound of metal clattering against the stone flooring all the more satisfying. “Nobody knows exactly how long these events have been going on, but everyone just knows. Everyone has always known, as far back as any of us can remember. You’re taught what to do and what not to do when you grow up; When it’s the safest time to be out and about, where not to go under certain timeframes, where not to go under  _any_ circumstances. Things like that.” Suddenly, something wet and cold (yet again) is pressed against the new cuts, gently skimming along every single cut.

He doesn’t complain any when she flinches away this time. “I’m just cleaning up the blood.” He reassures. For some reason, he waits for her to get comfortable again before continuing to swipe away at the mess. The faint warming and fizzling feel was enough to tell her exactly what was being used to clean the blood. Hydrogen peroxide. Fun.

“As I was saying, it’s just common knowledge. Even if you haven’t lived here your whole life, you eventually find out. Usually the hard way. Bringing something like that up to a newcomer isn’t exactly easy. They usually don’t believe it at first. So, we just stopped giving out warnings. Why waste your breath when the outcome is going to be the same either way?”

With everything being cleaned of blood (it still didn’t help with the intense throbbing along the entire expanse of her back) he lets his hand fall to his lap, still keeping the other against her shoulder. “I have to say though,” He continues. “I’ve never seen a newcomer fall victim to those things so quickly. You’re either very stupid, or very unlucky.” Well. That sure made her feel better. Although…

“What is this for, exactly? What does it do?” Again she gets a weird, long moment of silence from him.

“Hopefully, you’ll never have to find out.” Is all he says.

 

Magnolia really wishes she hadn’t come here.


End file.
